Читать книгу The Devil's Work - Linda Ladd - Страница 11

Chapter 4

Claire Morgan Black showed up with her husband early the next morning, driving into the Safari’s white-shell-paved parking lot in a black Lincoln. Wearing his new green Pa-hay-Okee Safari alligator T-shirt and aviator sunshades, Novak walked out of the museum to meet them. He had washed up in the bathrooms and spent the second night on the floor of the gift shop armed with a Glock 9 that Eldon had lent him and slept a hell of a lot better than he had atop that chickee.

Claire was the first one out of the car when it stopped at the bottom of the steps, looking as tall and blond and athletic as ever. Though she was in her second trimester, she barely showed a baby bump under her baggy black T-shirt. She was five feet nine inches, fit, and a natural blonde. She was beautiful but didn’t seem to know it, and her big blue eyes never missed anything, anywhere, anytime, and they didn’t this time, either. Her first words proved it.

“What happened to your head, Novak? And what the hell are you wearing?” Then she laughed at the fighting alligators on the front of his shirt.

“Hello to you, too.” Novak gave her a big hug as Black parked the car and got out.

“Really, what’s with the bandage? You okay?”

“Ran into a baseball bat. This shirt was a gift, sort of.”

Claire laughed. “I want to know everything that’s happened. Tell me.”

She was looking around the camp and taking in every detail. Claire was tough and a bit mouthy when perturbed but as kind and loyal and devoted a friend as anyone could ask for. On the other hand, she was often too determined to solve a crime, and that made her a bit reckless, which in turn made Novak nervous. Most of the time, she was a damn good investigator and got the job done, no matter what.

Today, as they walked down to meet Black, she looked happy and eager and better than ever. Her face was a little flushed, but most likely that was the excitement of starting a new case. The general consensus of anybody who knew these two newlyweds was that they made one spectacular couple. Claire had always called her husband by his last name for reasons only she knew, and Nicholas Black was a man to be reckoned with on his own. He had a worldwide reputation for work in both clinical and forensic psychiatry and had authored several best-selling books on serial killers. He was almost as wealthy as Jeff Bezos, not that it meant anything to his wife. They had met on a case where she tried her level best to prove he was a murderer but came up short for once. They’d been together but hadn’t married until recently because Claire had dragged her feet while Black wouldn’t take no for an answer.

At the moment, Black didn’t look as thrilled about the whole thing as Claire did, probably since his wife was going to have a baby but was still prepared to jump with both feet into some pretty ugly stuff. Truth be told, Black looked as if he wanted Claire ten thousand miles away from Florida. All things considered, together they were like lightning in a bottle and perfect for each other.

Nor was Novak surprised that Black was concerned. The man worried about Claire’s job because she had a terrifying and inexplicable ability to land herself in trouble, usually through no fault of her own. Now that they were married and she was pregnant, Black would double down on his protectiveness, and Claire would double down on continuing to do what she loved. As for Novak, he was just happy to have her back home and looking so excited and healthy and ready to go. She knew her stuff and didn’t put up with much crap, same as Novak.

This case dealt with some awful people, but Claire was too smart a woman to do anything to hurt her baby. She’d back off when the going got dangerous. Novak knew that. Black knew it, too, but her husband was also aware that taking care and good intentions could not always keep Claire out of harm’s way.

“About time you two showed up.” Novak shook Black’s hand. Claire’s husband was a good-looking guy with black hair and blue eyes, six feet four inches, maybe, about two inches shorter than Novak. He was not as heavy, maybe 220 with a leaner build than Novak. Black’s practice included rich actors, neurotic politicians, and other high-profile celebrities, but he was no pushover in a fight. He had his Army Ranger days to thank for that. He was a good man to have your back. He was a nice guy and a loyal friend. Novak trusted him. He couldn’t say that about most people.

“Rico is now officially our son,” Claire told him, smiling. “Forever and ever. Legally binding, just try to take him back.”

“Well, good, finally. Is he here?”

“Nope, he’s up at Lake of the Ozarks at our new cabin. He’s having a ball with Harve. You know them. They’re probably out bass fishing and swimming and speeding around on Jet Skis right now. Okay, what have you got on baby Rosa?”

Claire never wasted much time with idle chitchat. She was famous for getting down to brass tacks. One minute of small talk usually did it for her. Novak obliged her because this time they had no time to spare. “First week here, I got nothing but a good tan and a lot of runs down the beach. Nada, zip, until things started to pop night before last. I’ll fill you in on that later. You need to tell me more about this case. I know some doctor out of Guatemala City got it started. Eldon Osceola gave me some background on her.”

“Well, sorry to tell you this, Novak, but this one is strictly pro bono. We aren’t getting paid a dime. I knew you wouldn’t mind because you’re as rich as Black, even if you never spend a cent. That doctor? Eloise Harbor? She’s an old friend of Black’s, and when she said a little baby was missing, I knew we had to get involved. So all this’s okay with you, right, Novak? You’re down with it?”

“Of course.” Novak could not care less about money. Claire was right. He had plenty of inherited cash in plenty of bank accounts but rarely spent it unless he wanted to buy a custom-designed sailboat like the Sweet Sarah. His PI work and military retirement was plenty. “Just so you know, Claire, I’ve already got some bad guys pissed off and hunting me down. That means we’ve got to watch our backs from square one.”

Claire looked intrigued. Black looked wary.

“Who’s after you?” Claire asked.

“A gang. All of them.”

“Well, that’s par for the course for you, my friend. Forget that. Finding that baby is first and foremost. That has to come before anything. You agree? Baby Rosa is our main objective.” Claire was staring up at him, her hands planted on her hips. Even pregnant and in a T-shirt and cutoff jeans, she was the fittest woman he knew.

“I am more than okay with it. The baby’s mother is out here with her little brother—but you know that already. They almost bit it the other night at the condo where you put me on watch. Good thing you did or they’d be floating facedown in the ocean right now.” He briefly related the altercation on the beach.

“Wow, you do get yourself into one scrape after another when I’m not around.” Claire glanced up at the museum. “So what do you think of these guys? I haven’t met them. Eloise says they’re okay. She also thinks they’ll help us find the baby.”

“I like Eldon. He knows this area and the men who attacked me.”

“Maybe Black should take a look at your head. You think you might have a concussion? You look a little rough today.”

“Mild one, maybe. I’d rather just have some strong painkillers. These sunglasses are helping me.”

“You dizzy?” Black said, looking closely at him. “Nausea or double vision?”

“Maybe at first. Now it’s just a constant headache.”

“I’ve got meds in my bag that’ll help with that.”

“Good. C’mon, let me introduce you to the Osceolas. They’re waiting inside where it’s air-conditioned.”

Claire started up the steps in front of the men. “I want to meet everybody. I’m not supposed to stay out in the sun long, anyway. You know, it’s not good for the baby.”

Novak followed her while Black went back to the car for the medicine.

Novak opened the door, and they waited just inside for Black to catch up. “Eldon’s back in the conference room. His office is there, too.”

Black was back a minute later with the pills and a bottle of water. He handed them over, and Novak twisted off the cap and swallowed three of them. “Two would be enough,” Black said.

“I don’t think so,” Novak answered.

“Any indication this case has mob connections?” Black asked him.

“Don’t know yet. Maybe. I think whoever took that baby is hooked up with somebody who can get things done. Kids have been abducted periodically around here for years, it sounds like. Others are thought to be brought up from Central America. That takes organization and somebody smart pulling the strings, or they’d be caught by now.”

“Don’t forget, Novak, Black’s in tight with a certain mob boss in Miami. It’s his godfather—and I mean the real kind of godfather. Not that I condone working hand-in-hand with Mafia types, but Jose Rango helped us out before, if you’ll recall. Remember Mexico City when he got you out of the clutches of that drug lord?”

“Rango’s influence could definitely be useful. I’m beginning to think these guys operate all across south Florida, maybe even up through the Eastern Seaboard. That means a powerful contact in Miami would be more than helpful. I don’t know if this thing radiates that far afield, but my gut tells me it’s big and getting bigger.”

“Okay, tell us everything you know so far,” Claire demanded.

“Not much yet. We need to find a way to track this baby pipeline, because I think there is one. Eldon Osceola says a lawyer in Fort Myers might be the one calling the shots around here.”

“Yeah, Max Kellen. I know,” Claire said. “I looked him up.”

“I bet Jose knows about him,” Black said.

“After I got Kellen’s name, I dug up some stuff, too. Let’s compare notes—but first we need to talk to Eldon so you can meet Alcina and her brother. They’ve been anxious for you to get here. After that, we’ll talk about how to take this whole thing down.”

A bunch of tourists were wandering around the shops and loading up on souvenirs. Eldon’s office and conference room were located down a hall behind an Employees Only sign. A plate-glass window in one wall revealed people sitting around a long conference table. Alcina and the kid were sitting together at the far end. Alcina was the only woman there. The walls were decorated with all kinds of Native American artifacts and paintings and wall hangings.

As soon as they got inside, Claire headed straight for Alcina, not even waiting for introductions. Kneeling beside her, Claire took both her hands. “We’re going to find Rosa. I promise you that I won’t stop looking until we bring her home and put her back in your arms.” That brought a rush of tears to the grieving young mother. “We’re gonna get your daughter back,” Claire said again. “We’ll never give up until we find her.”

“Thank you so much. I’m just so grateful you’re here,” Alcina whispered back. Apparently she believed Claire, because her tears dried up and she hugged Claire. Eldon stood and introduced himself and his sons, and then politely held Claire’s chair as she sat down beside him. “This is a bad affair we’ve gotten into,” he said. “As you know, Eloise has learned a great deal about the child abductions going on down in Guatemala City, and she thinks this thing is farther reaching than anybody knows. Rosa’s only the latest victim. Even worse, she thinks they target pregnant women as well as newborn babies. She told me that pregnant women have been going missing down there, and their bodies found later after they gave birth. Their babies have never been found.” His eyes lingered briefly on Claire, and nobody had trouble understanding his concern. “These people are worse than animals. I told Novak that we want to help. We’re at your service from now on. As long as it’s legal, we’re in all the way.”

Claire nodded. “Thank you, Eldon. We don’t know everything yet, but we’re just getting started. Your input’s going to help us more than anything. Eloise gave me a name and I tracked that child and found a reference to Max Kellen. That’s why we’re starting with him. He may be totally innocent, just acting as an attorney for them. I don’t know yet.”

“Well, I do. My wife knows him,” Eldon told her. “She’s faced him in court, and she says she wouldn’t trust him for the time of day. She isn’t a bit surprised he’s a suspect in this case. By the way, you’re welcome at Ocean’s Edge if you need a place to stay, but it’s about two hours north of here. We all live in Naples, which is closer. Feel free to set up your investigation anywhere you want. It might be better down close to us since the Skulls attacked Alcina and Pedro at the condo. I’ve upped security there. I don’t think they’ll come back, but they could. One thing we’ve learned about them is that they’re unpredictable. I don’t think they think things through before they jump in.”

Novak agreed. Those gangbangers seemed more than comfortable with drowning two young people on a public beach in full sight of four buildings full of people. That wasn’t exactly Einstein caliber, but they almost got away with it.

“Would they attack us out here on the reservation?” Black asked Eldon.

“Not unless they want the Bureau of Indian Affairs to come down on their heads like a ton of bricks. This is tribal land, and we protect it with our own police force. The boys and I have concealed carry permits, and everything we do out here falls under tribal jurisdiction. I’m still worried about how they found Alcina and Pedro at Ocean’s Edge. We took every measure to keep their whereabouts secret. Somebody had to clue them in.”

“Are you thinking you’ve got an informer?” Black asked.

“Nobody on the res would do that. Everybody working at the Safari is family.” He hesitated and looked at Novak. “I want to take a minute to thank Will Novak publicly for saving Alcina and Pedro’s lives. We let those guys get by us, and these two kids almost paid the price.”

Claire glanced at Novak. “Novak’s handy to have around.”

Novak looked at her. “You know who those guys are, don’t you? Remember the Skulls when they rode in New Orleans?”

“Is it the same club? Gabe LeFevres took them down on his own when he worked undercover. They’re all still in jail.”

“Same kind, just in other chapters. They’ve got one in Fort Myers, and they’re Kellen’s enforcers, we think. If he turns out to be the man we’re looking for.”

Claire remembered them, all right. “I had some problems with them when I worked homicide at Lafourche Parish Sheriff’s Office. Down there, they ran drugs and prostitutes, but we never heard anything about kidnapped children.”

“I know Kellen’s calling the shots, but we can’t prove it,” Eldon said. “We try to stay out of their way, but the other night changed things. They’ll be gunning for us.”

Black caught Novak’s attention. By the frown on his face, Novak knew he wasn’t thrilled Claire was about to go up against a violent motorcycle gang. Novak nodded, sympathizing, but not worried. Claire knew full well that she could not do everything she’d done in the past. Both men knew that, and as long as she remembered it, too, she’d be okay. He wasn’t going to worry about her until he had a reason to. On the other hand, she wasn’t used to sitting around and letting everyone else investigate her cases. She’d been a lead homicide investigator too long.

Now Claire wore a look of steely determination. “I want that baby safe and sound and back with Alcina, and we’ll do whatever it takes to get her there.”

That was pretty all-encompassing and overly optimistic, but Novak agreed. Alcina promptly collapsed into fresh sobs, revealing her stifled emotions were as ragged as hell. Pedro put his arm around his sister’s shoulders. Claire smiled encouragingly and put her hand atop her own belly. At that moment that Novak felt a curious sort of chill go down his back, a weird sense of foreboding.

“So this attack took place at your condo?” Black asked Eldon. “My primary concern, of course, is my wife’s safety. If there’s any doubt, I’ll be happy to arrange secure accommodations and professional bodyguards for Alcina and her brother.”

Eldon seemed fine with the idea. “Like I said, I don’t believe they’ll show up there again, and we’ve upped the number of guards, but there’s no way I can guarantee it. The other residents are unaware of what happened, and we want to keep it that way. Those condo rentals are what keep this place open.”

Novak was not in favor of Claire staying at the beach, either. It was no fortress against armed assault. He waited for Claire to tell Black to stop worrying about her, but she didn’t. That told him Claire had no intention of doing anything that would harm her or her unborn child. After that, he relaxed considerably and felt better about her involvement. He did not want anything to happen to Claire. She’d been injured and hurt so many times before that he was always spooked when they got a new and dangerous assignment. This time was different. He decided to speak up.

“Listen, I’ve got my sailboat docked at a big marina in Fort Myers. How about we take the boat and anchor her somewhere offshore of Naples? These two kids would be safer down here away from Kellen’s base of operations. My boat will be hard to attack or sneak up on.” Novak hesitated, not sure about his next offer, but he had no time to make the voyage down the coast. “Do any of you know how to sail a forty-footer? And I don’t mean an amateur. Somebody who knows what he’s doing and that we can trust.”

“My nephew’s got his own boat and has sailed in the annual regattas over in Miami. He won the thing twice. You ready to trust him with your boat?”

“Well, that makes me feel better. He and maybe one other guy can take her down the coast, and they can use my Zodiac to pick up Alcina and Pedro when they get here. I want them out of here before Kellen’s goons find them again. The Sarah’s cool and comfortable, and I’ve built in some defenses of my own. Black and Claire can stay at the condo with me. I’ll feel better if the Castillos are down in Naples. How about you?”

“I think that’s a good idea. Jeff and Pooch can take the boat down tonight.” Eldon looked at Alcina and her brother. “Jake can take you two over there when they put down anchor. That sound okay with you?”

They both nodded but still looked scared. They were going to look that way from now on, but they’d be safer on the boat than as sitting ducks up in Fort Myers. The reservation might be safe for a time, but if the Skulls had followed Novak out here, Kellen would know eventually where they were and he’d come after them, tribal land or not. Kellen had to kill them now. Novak preferred not to have to worry about it; he already had enough to worry about.

Black agreed. “I think this is better, too. Novak and I will be with Claire the whole time. What do you say, Claire?”

Claire hesitated. For a moment, Novak wasn’t sure if she was going for it or not.

“I’m good with them staying on the boat. But really, you guys need to stop worrying about me. I feel good, and I’m not going to do anything irresponsible. Remember, Black, you’re the one who asked me to take on Eloise’s case.”

“Yes, I did, but it’s getting more complicated than I had reason to believe it would.”

“True, but I know what I’m doing.”

“That’s true, too.”

Novak had heard similar banter between the newlyweds before, and it was always about the same thing: Claire’s safety when investigating dangerous criminals. He doubted that Black’s constant worry would ever change. Black had learned a long time ago that he couldn’t tell her what to do, and vice versa. Marriage hadn’t changed that, but as usual, their disagreement didn’t last long. They were already smiling at each other.

Claire turned back to Novak, raring to go. “Okay, let’s figure out our first move. Eldon, do you have suggestions? Anybody we need to tail and/or question?”

“Max Kellen should be number one, but you know that. My wife thinks he might use his law office to place these children. Apparently, that’s one of his specialties. Arranging legal adoptions, that is, but we think he does the illegal ones, too. He’s smart enough to make his contracts ironclad, without loopholes. She’s nosed around as much as she dared, so we already have some dirt on him. I don’t know if he’s the head dude or running this out of Fort Myers for someone else.”

“Then it’s up to us to figure out a game plan, Novak,” Claire said, parroting his own thoughts. “I say we pay a visit to this Max Kellen guy after we scope out the area.”

“We can see where he lives and works. See which is the easiest to get into. I can do that, if you like, while you and Black rest up from your flight.”

“No need. I slept on the plane. I feel absolutely wonderful. You too tired to go with us, Black?”

“If you’re going, I’m going.”

“He’s so sweet,” Claire said to Novak. “All right then, let’s get this show on the road.”

They left Miccosukee around the same time that Jeff and Pooch took off for Novak’s boat. It took around two hours to drive back to Sanibel Island. When they reached the condo, Novak left the couple to have a look around the resort while he took a quick shower and cleaned up. Once he was dressed in a clean white T-shirt and jeans and had swallowed down some more of Black’s painkillers, he felt a hundred percent better. The three of them sat at the kitchen table and made some initial decisions.

“I like this place,” Black told them, looking around. “I’ve got a hotel in South Beach, but I wouldn’t mind a place over here on the Gulf Coast.”

That was another habit of Black’s; he collected hotels. He had the money and liked to spend it, just the opposite of Novak’s reluctance to touch his offshore and French bank accounts. “Eldon says his father bought this place back in the 1960s. Don’t think they’ll ever want to sell it.”

As usual, Claire had only one thing on her mind: the case. “Okay, tell me again exactly what happened out here on the beach?”

They’d already discussed it on the drive up, but Novak related details of the attempted drowning again, and everything else he could remember up to the point where Jake Osceola clubbed him in the head.

“Somebody should have warned those goons who you were before they accosted you. How many of them did you put down before they got you?”

“Not enough, but now we’re dealing with them all, so we’ll need to scope out their hangouts and history around the city. Maybe we can get a bead on how many there are and how tough they are, because they’re going to come at us sooner rather than later.”

“It sounds like they might be Kellen’s only muscle, but we don’t know that for sure,” Black said. “Could be that they’re the abductors. They seem the types.”

Claire nodded. “Eloise told me she believes somebody here hires street thugs in Guatemala City to take these children and bully the villagers down there. We need to get a look at Kellen’s files and phone records. See if we can’t nail down his contacts down there.”

“He’s not going to keep that stuff at his office in Fort Myers. That would be careless, and I don’t think he is. One search warrant from ICE or the FBI and he’d be in jail for the rest of his life.” Novak shook his head. “No, if they exist, he’s got them hidden somewhere else.”

“He could have a hidden safe at home,” Claire said. “Well, let’s go and find it. Right now. We’ve wasted enough time, and every minute we sit here, little Rosa suffers. Let’s take our rental and scope out Kellen’s office building. I’ve never been down here in Fort Myers or on Sanibel. It’s beautiful out here on the island, but I want to check things out on a Google map.”

“That Lincoln might be noticed.”

“Nobody here knows Black and me. In fact, he might be able to get us inside Kellen’s office as clients. How about a referral, Black? Have you had a look at his office yet, Novak?”

“No, I’ve been too busy saving Guatemalans, nursing a concussion, and sitting around waiting for you. Kept me sort of busy the last few days. Except for my size, I don’t think Alcina’s attackers will remember what I look like. It was dark on that beach, and it all was over in a matter of minutes.”

“They’ll remember the way you took them down,” Black said.

“Actually, I did have Harve do a little background check on Max Kellen the other day,” Novak told them. Harve was Claire’s old friend, and an internet researcher and headhunter. He was the best Novak had ever seen.

“Great. What did he find? I tried, but we were in the middle of court proceedings in Rome, so I didn’t get very far.”

“His real name is Maximilian Emilio Ramirez, but he changed his last name to Kellen when he was twenty-one. His family kept the Ramirez name. They emigrated from Cuba in 1981. The rest of his family appears to be good loyal American citizens, law-abiding but unexceptional. Max went to law school at U of Miami, worked as an accountant on the side during his school years. Harve found out a few things he did in Little Havana that got him in trouble with the police. Not bad enough to revoke his law license, but bad enough that he left town. Purportedly, he didn’t want to embarrass his parents.”

“Why Fort Myers?”

Novak shrugged. “No idea. He formed his own law firm here, a small one that didn’t amount to much at first. Then about five years ago, surprise, surprise, he suddenly had all the money in the world and a thriving law firm in one of the best office buildings in town. Anything about that sound suspicious to you guys?”

“Hell, yes,” Black said. “You think that’s when he got mobbed up?”

“That’s exactly what he did,” Claire answered.

“Let me put a call into Jose. See what he can tell me about this guy.” Black got up and moved out onto the screened porch. Once the door slid closed, Novak looked at Claire.

“You think Jose will help us?”

“You know he will. He’s Mr. Big over in Miami and loves Black like a son. Black loves him, too, but Rango can be brutal, believe it. My bet is that he’ll know what’s going on over here. He’ll know how connected Kellen is to the big guys and which ones. And he’ll be an ally to us if we need him.”

“All good. Black’s contacts do come in handy. They’ve saved my ass on occasion.”

“Yep, my hubby is a sweetie pie when it comes to sharing his underworld connections. Thank God, he’s not involved with any of that himself. You do understand that. It’s his big brother who is the Mafioso in New Orleans, not him. He’s as clean as new snow.”

“I know that. I’m glad we’ve got him on our side. He can hold his own.”

“I know, and he’s all mine.”

“So the baby’s a girl, I hear.”

She nodded. “Yes, Rico’s going to have a little sister.”

Claire was smiling, happy, and Novak detected something that had been niggling at his mind since he’d met up with Claire earlier that day. He sensed some kind of new softness in her, something he’d rarely seen in the past, at least not when she was working a job. She was and always had been a hard-nosed, dedicated detective and had faced her share of bad guys, including more than one serial killer. She seemed different somehow. He wasn’t sure if the cause was the baby she was carrying or Rico’s adoption, or getting married or all of it together, but it was as becoming as hell. “Hey, know what, Morgan? Having a baby looks good on you.”

“Black says the same thing.”

“He’s worried about you getting hurt.”

“I know.” She glanced over at the screened porch where Black was talking on his cell and then returned her gaze to Novak. “Hey, what about that Lori Garner girl of yours? Is she going to join up with us? We could use another investigator for the hard stuff until after I deliver this baby.”

“She’s thinking about it.”

Claire looked pleased. “I figured you could talk her into it since you spent weeks at sea with her. All alone. Just the two of you.”

Novak had to smile. Claire would love for him to have a girlfriend. He wasn’t sure where his relationship with Lori was going, but he did know she was one hell of a woman. Claire already knew he liked her or he wouldn’t have invited her aboard his boat. She just wanted him to admit it. He decided to keep her guessing. “She’s got a mind of her own. She reminds me of you in that regard.”

“I like her already. Better question: Do you?”

“Yeah. She’s okay.”

“That’s high praise coming from you. You really, really like her, don’t you?”

“Like I said, she’s okay. She uses internet slang that I don’t understand and spouts computer stuff that’s way over my head, but she’s hell on wheels at online research.”

“Even better. So are you two getting it on?”

“Stop with the questions, Claire. We’ve got bigger problems on our hands.”

“So you do like her a lot. Well, knock me down with a feather, Novak. You’ve finally got a girlfriend? You? No way. I must be dreaming.”

“She’s not my girlfriend. She’s a good friend, and I trust her.”

“Yeah, right. Did you or did you not invite her to go sailing the deep blue sea with you? Just the two of you? Alone? What’d you do out there? Play Yahtzee all day?”

Novak changed the subject. “Where are we headed first?”

“You got Kellen’s office address?”

“Yes, ma’am.”

“Is it well guarded?”

“Don’t know. How about checking that out right now?”

“Can’t think of anything I’d rather do.”

“I missed you, Morgan.”

“Hey, that’s Black now.”

“Promise you’ll take care and not get hurt or put yourself in the hospital again?”

“You and Black are worse than a couple of British nannies.” She looked out on the porch at her husband. “He’s so excited about the baby, Novak. You just would not believe it.”

“I can see that. More reason to be careful and hang back when the bullets start flying.”

“Trust me, Novak. No bullets are getting anywhere near this baby.”

“Okay, I’ll hold you to that.”

Black came back in a hurry. “Jose’s heard of him. Says he’s an upstart over on this coast and not connected to any major underworld syndicate, not that he’s heard about, anyway. He knows about the black market adoptions, though he’s not down with that kind of thing at all. You know what a family man he is. He’s going to look into it at his end and call me back.”

“Excellent,” said Claire. “Now let’s go check out a sleazy lawyer’s office, but first I want to stop at McDonald’s and get a Big Mac and french fries.”

“That’s not exactly nutritious,” Black told her. “A salad would be better for the baby.”

“I’ll drink milk with it and choke down some vegetables tonight. Let’s get out of here. I want to enjoy this balmy climate. It rained the whole time we were in Rome.”

Black looked at Novak and shook his head. Novak grinned, but he knew this was serious stuff. Luckily, they were all three well armed, and that made Novak feel better.